Britain, especially England, is in the grip of a massive housing crisis with shortages and roaring prices making all but the very rich suffer. Here’s an article that reminds us that there were once rich landlords who cared for and about their tenants.

This is from the i, 5 April:

Estate agents dealing with the sale of an entire village with a pub and more tan 40 houses have been inundated with cals after it went on sale for £20m.

West Heslerton, near Scarborough, which has been owned by the same family for more than 150 years, was put on the market after the most recent owner died. It includes a 21-bed mansion and more than 2,000 acres of farmland. a decision was taken to sell following the death of Eve Dawnay 5 years ago aged 84. Miss Dawnay’s benevolent management has meant the estate dubbed ‘the village that time forgot”, had changed little in 50 years. Tom Watson, director of Cundalls, the estate agent handling thee sale, said the family would like to sell to a buyer who shred her philosophy towards the people of the village. But he stressed it would be an open sale available to all potential buyers. “We have an incredible amount of interest already,” he told the Yorkshire Post.

Miss Dawney inherited the estate in 1964. the manor house is the centrepiece of the sale, which comes with more than 100 acres of woodland. “The estate has been very much untouched for the past 50 years and is ready to be shaped for the nest generation,” Mr Watson said.